


Into the Nightlife

by fragilevixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 01:26:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12025191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragilevixen/pseuds/fragilevixen
Summary: Summary: A little paid vacation time never hurt anyone, right? (Not giving anything away this time)





	1. What have I gotten myself into

**Author's Note:**

> Note and Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and Skinner belong to TenThirteen, Chris Carter, and FOX Productions. All others are that of my own. Yes, I am pushing boundaries in this story and yes I am aware I am using songs that do not match the decade. Story takes place in mid 1999…most of the songs are from 2005 and beyond. This story is entirely new for me—this is my own glorious fluff and I hope that it is at least somewhat enjoyable haha!  
> Please check back for notes or changes :)
> 
> Also originally posted on Fanfiction.net

July 15th 1999

4:00 pm (Thursday)

FBI Offices, Washington DC

                “No, no I understand that, Sir…yes I’m aware that those run out after a certain amount of time…now? No…But, Sir…I’m not arguing with you…” Mulder had the phone up to his ear, a look of discomfort across his face that caught Scully off guard as she walked into the office.

                She scanned the room a little, taking in each dusty, dimmed detail of the room. Scully’s eyes focused on the tiny windows looking out to the street above as well as the lack of lighting by her partner at the desk. The small glow of the desk lamp was the only light on in the office and she reached back to the light switch, flipping it up, shedding some light on the situation. He winced at her for a moment as held the phone to his ear. She couldn’t help noticing that his desk was a mess again, but more so than usual. Scully looked at him, watching as he furrowed his brow, closed his eyes, and rubbed his chin. _He looks like he’s having a colonoscopy._ She determined in her head and smiled despite trying not to. He glared at her for a moment.

                “No, Sir, I’m not ignoring you…” Mulder realized he had just missed the last sentence being hurled at him through the phone.

                _Why does your life suck, Mulder?_ He thought to himself as he leaned forward, pressing his elbow against the desktop. He tapped his foot on the floor and rolled his eyes as the voice on the other end of the phone continued to get louder and louder. _I’m really in for it this time aren’t I?_

                Scully stifled a laugh with her hand as she placed her coat and purse on the chair on the other side of the desk. She walked off to the filing cabinets and started thumbing through the files in the “IN” box she had labeled. It was stacked a foot high. She was doing her best not to take a moment and watch him, but the curiosity kept getting the better of her. She looked back at him, examining him to the full extent. _Tightening of his jaw, moments of adjusting an already loosened tie, and fidgeting. What are you getting your ass reamed for this time, Mulder?_ Scully was staring for a little too long as Mulder glanced over at her. He winced and threw the rubber-foam stress ball she had given him at her. He hit her in the chest with it.

                _Oh, whatever, Mulder, I see how it is._ She looked down at the ball on the floor and kicked it towards the desk. She couldn’t help noticing how alluring he looked when he was angry—eyes determined and vexed, skin a very deep flushed pink, lips pressed together. It brought a little chill down her spine just thinking about it. She didn’t want to think about him like that but how could she not? Yes, he was her partner but Scully was still a woman who could feel attraction to another—that attraction just happened to burn like fire for someone she worked with. Scully bit down on her lip for a moment to quell the urge to let out a soft moan of tension.

                “Okay, okay, okay, I relent…fine, I’ll do it, starting today…Yeah, thanks, Sir,” Mulder hung up the phone and nearly slammed his head down on the desk. “Scully if you don’t stop looking at me like that I am going to—“

                “Going to what, Mulder?” Scully finally let out a small laugh as she cut him off in mid sentence, hiding a little blush that had just appeared upon her face.      

                “Nothing—“ Mulder looked up at her, frustration and a subtle hint of pain on his face. “I need to pound out some aggression on someone, one way or the other, Scully. Feel free to interpret that how you need to. I’ll take what I can get.”

                Her jaw dropped but she decided against inquiring as to whether or not he was directing that comment at her or not. “What’s wrong?”

                “Well, Assistant Director Skinner just informed me that I have vacation time coming and if I don’t use it within the next 4 weeks I will lose it until next year and start over from scratch. This means starting out with two paid days per every six months on the job. I have two weeks paid vacation starting as of two minutes ago…” Mulder forced out a smile, clearly irritated, and looked at her. “It came as a great slam, bam, thank you ma’am.”

                “That’s all? Mulder, I think you need that vacation time. I came in here thinking you had been handed your ass over the phone when in reality you were told to take some time off? It’s not the end of the world,” Scully leaned against the desk, crossing her arms, a devilish smile forming across her lips.

                “Scully—what am I going to do for two weeks? I don’t exactly have an active social life,” Mulder started gathering up his jacket and laptop into the case.  “I had friends…ten years ago.”

                “Well, Mulder, I have some vacation time to spend myself, maybe we could…if you want to…” Scully stammered. _Jesus, just spit it out or you’ll never get this chance again._ “Spend some of it together and get out of our element for a while? Make sure we still have some social skills left in our bags of tricks?”

                She bit her bottom lip and watched as a boyish smile peeked at her from his face. Her fingers went instinctively to the hem of her skirt, fiddling with it, trying not to look at him. He watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other and noted the nervous stutter. _Scully, did I ever tell you that you are incredibly sexy when you are nervous? No, I bet I haven’t._ Mulder stared up at her, nodding slowly. He wrapped his brain around the idea, around the thought of just he and Scully—no work, no interruptions of any kind. He liked the idea but didn’t know how well he could trust himself in such a casual setting with her, but he wanted to take that risk.

                “Scully, I think you’re on to something—and to start this vacation time off on a high note, I think that we should go out tonight, maybe dinner and a movie?” Mulder decided it was mean to keep her in suspense, but then realized he was making himself a little nervous waiting to give her something to go on.

                Scully’s mouth got ahead of her as she uttered her next question. “You mean go on a date, Mulder?”

                _You are a moron, Dana. That was the stupidest thing you could’ve ever have asked._ She closed her eyes and marveled at the increasingly uncomfortable silence she had just subjected them to. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks along with a pretty shade of pink. Mulder grappled with his own slip of the tongue as well as hers as he looked down at his feet. _For once I’m thinking I’m being brave, but now I think I’ve just gotten myself into trouble._ Mulder couldn’t help thinking that she was going to laugh at him or worse, turn him down.

                “Why not, Scully?” Mulder’s words practically knocked her legs out from under her as she realized he agreed to a date.

                She felt like a little girl as she grinned at him. “Well, I suppose I should go home and get ready? I don’t really want to wear my work clothes to dinner.”

                “I’ll pick you up at 8?” Mulder strangely yet instinctively squeezed her hand and stood up from behind the desk.

                _Oh, boy, what did you just get yourself into, Mulder?_ He bit down on his bottom lip hard and tried to play it off as though it were nothing. But it wasn’t. It was a lot of something, something hard to explain, and it was so unfamiliar to them both in the past few years, and completely new towards each other. He looked back at her from the doorway and smiled. She smiled back, nervously, and watched him continue out the door. She waited to move until she knew he’d be at the elevator and gone.

                “This is crazy—a date with Mulder? What am I thinking?” Scully paced around the office then stopped suddenly. “What am I going to wear?”

                Her eyes widened as she grabbed her coat and purse and headed for the door.

 

 

**End Chapter 1**

I adore feedback so if you find it worthwhile please comment. If you have suggestions or ideas I would love to hear them as well! Many thanks in advance for any feedback given. =)


	2. Pardon the Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks vacation together - nothing bad could possibly happen, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note and Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and Skinner belong to TenThirteen, Chris Carter, and FOX Productions. All others are original. 
> 
> Yes, I am pushing boundaries in this story and yes I am aware I am using songs that do not match the decade. Story takes place in the early summer of 1999…most of the songs are from 2005 and beyond. 
> 
> Please enjoy the glorious fluff.
> 
> Also, I am well aware that the restaurant I have chosen for this fic was not open until January of 2003. But it was the only DC restaurant in my research that jumped out at me as an ultimate location for an appropriate "date".

7:45 PM, July 15th

Scully’s Apartment

 

                Her makeup was done—soft yet sultry—and her hips swung as she pulled a silk, deep burgundy dress with lace trim up and over them. She wore, oddly enough, a matching bra and panties set beneath the dress. They were one of those panties sets that had a garter belt attached to them, each little attachment dangled freely beneath the silken dress. She pulled the thin straps of the dress up each arm and zipped herself up, smoothing the front just a tad. She looked in the full-length mirror and took a deep breath. The last step was the legs as she reached over and pulled one stocking up to her thigh, clipping it into place with the garter. The second leg took a little longer as she slipped them higher, clipping each fastener in place, securing the stocking up her thigh. She let the dress hem fall back to just above the knee and stepped into her burgundy and lace heels. She was no longer Special Agent Dana Scully in her usual, matching pant suits; she was the very sensual and sexy Dana Scully.

                “Here goes nothing,” Scully took a long look at herself in the mirror.

                She admired the shape of her body for the first time in a long time. The gentle curve of her hips, her backside, and her bust. She was showing just enough cleavage for curiosity to be perked, but not too much that would draw attention away from her face. You couldn’t, and definitely wouldn’t, look at one part of her body without slowly making your way up to her face. It was a rush to watch a side of herself come out that had not been out since college—and for him. What would he think of her now? She smiled softly as she applied a quick touch up of tinted, shimmery, scented lip gloss.

                The doorbell rang.

                Her eyes darted to the clock only to see that it was already 8:00. She took a deep breath and went for the front door. Her hips swayed considerably more pronounced than usual as she turned the handle to the door, pulling it open.

                “Wow—you look, amazing, Scully,” Mulder’s mouth was slightly agape as he stood in her doorway, taking in as much of her as he could without staring too long.

                Scully smiled, glancing down at the floor for a moment. “Thank you, Mulder.”

                He looked stunning himself. Pressed black slacks, deep purple semi silky shirt with matching patterned tie, and a very nicely pressed suit coat. He was cleanly shaven and practically glowing. He had a hand behind his back, holding something.

                “Oh, these are for you,” Mulder revealed a bouquet of purple roses, holding them out towards her, “I don’t do traditional colors, Scully.”

                She smiled as she carefully took them from him. “They are beautiful, Mulder, thank you. Come in for a minute while I put these in water.”

                He watched her walk to the sink to fill a vase. He liked the way she moved in that dress as he got lost in each swing of the hips. She took them out of the plastic wrapping and slipped them into the fresh water, taking a moment to smell them. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him staring at her and she turned her head just slightly to look at him. Her eyes moved up, from his feet all the way until their eyes met. She could feel the heat rising back in her face as their eyes locked for a few moments.

                “We should probably get going, I made a reservation, place gets pretty slammed even on a weekday,” Mulder had to break the agonizingly intense gaze as he turned his body toward the door.

                “Oh, yes, let me get my purse,” Scully bit down on her lip just slightly as she reached across the table for her purse.

                They were visibly nervous as they walked out the door. Scully’s hand was shaking as she locked her door and continued down the hallway towards the car. The night was only just starting and their nerves were certainly already a factor.

 

8:30pm

Mie N Yu Restaurant

 

                Scully slowly followed Mulder into the beautifully ornate entrance of the restaurant Mie N Yu, her eyes dancing at the golden curtain before her as the Hostess carefully led them through to a stairwell. Each piece of this restaurant was like taking a walk through the Spice Route in the East—beautiful lighting fixtures, mirrored walls, and brightly colored tables adorned each room. Each space was incredibly detailed and Scully found that she was becoming lost in the beauty of the visual surroundings as well as the intensely lovely smell of Asian cuisine. Mulder's gentle grip on her hand was the only thing steering her in the right direction as he rubbed his fingers across the top of her hand gently to get her attention. She smiled at him, a new smile, of not only wonderment but of a woman who was seeing a side of this man she'd known for so long in a brand new light.

                They walked up the stairwell to a balcony-esque area that was above the main dining area and began a soft descent into a somewhat secluded, private dining booth. Scully was at first bewildered by the sight in front of her—an iron Birdcage with vinery sneaking around each curve, with a beautifully candlelit table and a gilded and glass blue lighting fixture above the center of the table. The first instinct was that they must not be at the right table, it was built for a group of six, but then Scully glanced to see two menus and two place settings at the back of the circle.

                "Mister Mulder, our executive chef Tim Miller will be serving you and your guest, tonight. Your selections to choose from are on the menus and a waitress will be with you shortly to take your orders," the hostess smiled at them both as she explained to them about their dining arrangements. "Please enjoy your evening and do not hesitate to ask any questions if you need."

                "Thank you," Mulder nodded and guided Scully into the circular dining booth.

                "This is so amazing, Mulder," Scully slowly scooted toward the back of the circular table, sinking softly into the fluffy cushions beneath her.

                He simply smiled at her as he took a seat a foot or two away from her, sliding into the seat from the other side of the circular table. Mulder looked very nervous, anxious even, as he watched her glance at the menu.

                "Mulder, the price—"

                "Scully, tonight is not about price…tonight is about sharing an evening with each other," Mulder shook his head and glanced down at his menu. "I was well aware of the price of this space when I made the reservation, Scully. Just let the menu speak to your stomach."

                She smiled and continued to study her menu. A waitress came in and asked if they were ready to order, both agreed and started off with drinks.

                "Something sweet, but strong, for my lovely company, and for me? Surprise me…my only request is that I not get sloshed on my first drink of the night," Mulder smiled at the girl as they continued their order process.

                They ordered the Mie N Yu Dim Sum starter, followed by a Sunomono Blue Crab Salad for Scully, and"Good Fortune" Dumplings for Mulder as their first course. Their "Protein" choices were Chicken Rica Rica, Afghan Lamb Quabuli, and Wild Mushroom & Tofu Fried Rice. They also chose two sides of Roasted Moroccan Vegetables and a side of Nepalese Sautéed Greens. They agreed on the Valrhona Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert. They were both trying food that they necessarily would never have tried, both felt that they should take a bolder approach in choosing their meal. The waitress smiled as she took their menus and walked back up the stairs to the balcony, then off toward the kitchen.

                "I have a feeling this is going to be either really spicy or really rich," Scully smiled softly, suddenly noticing the space between them. "…Or both."

                "I am leaning more towards that both category, Scully," Mulder took another look at her, sheepishly grinning.

                "Mulder, can I ask you something personal?" Scully took a deep breath and glanced at his mouth, then his eyes.

                "Boxers, Scully—oh wait, that wasn't the question was it?" He laughed nervously as she smiled, giggling softly.

                "No, Mulder—but, always good to know. What I was curious about was why all of this? Why now?" Scully didn't want to suddenly make the evening sad or down but she felt a burning curiosity to know the answers.

                He contemplated for a moment as the waitress brought them two, tall drinks with different colored liquids in them. The one in front of Scully had a slice of pineapple and four cherries in it…his had an orange slice sitting on the top. He took a sip of his and watched her take a sip of hers. He felt the subtle sting of alcohol hit the back of his throat, but the aftertaste was sweet and tangy. His eyes noticed the rim of sugar on Scully's glass and his mind wandered for a moment.

                "You know, two part questions are a killer, Scully," He took a deep, cleansing breath as he gathered the words to say what he needed to say to tell her without being upsetting. "To me, when it concerns you, all of this isn't all of this…I wanted to show you that I am capable of more than cold pizza and late night porn flicks that you've caught me watching on more than one embarrassing occasion. There have been few people who have taken a place in my life quite like you have and I didn't want to let a planned evening together to be less than wonderful. The other part of that question is a little more complicated, Scully."

                "I want to hear the answer—that's what tonight is for right? Getting to know a little bit more about each other," Scully felt her knees shake a little as she spoke.

                "It's embarrassing to know that the one person I have ever wanted to give the world to I never could get courage enough to just take a leap…that's the why now. If it's not fate slapping me in the face it's certainly seeing your face every single day knowing that you've stayed despite all of the incredibly stupid things I've said and done," He took a fairly sizeable gulp of his drink and looked over at her. "Now that I've thoroughly made an ass of myself we'll just move on to the next subject."

                The reaction he had attained was not what he had thought he'd get as she reached over and ran her fingertips down his cheek and along his jaw line. Her free hand was rubbing against his thigh, unintentionally, as she smiled brightly at him. She was putting him through an utterly sweet agony as he felt the heat rising from his core.

                She spoke so softly. "You're not making an ass of yourself, Mulder. Not in the slightest."

                "Pardon the interruption but your starters are ready to be served," the voice of the executive chef brought their tender moment to a screeching halt.

                Scully sat back right, coughed a little, and took a hefty drink of her cocktail in front of her. She, too, took notice of the sugared rim of the glass and quickly captured a small amount of the sweet, granulated sugar with her bottom lip and swallowed it with a fair amount of her drink. She felt the liquid, both cold and hot down her throat, followed by the semi-sweet aftertaste of the sugar still on her tongue. She focused her attention on the executive chef.

                "I know it's probably customary to do a fairly decorative introduction of the meal but—we don't really need it," Mulder continued. "I do appreciate the gesture and tradition…"

                "No explanation is necessary Mr. Mulder, I'm sure you and your wife would prefer a little more low key night," the chef smiled as he presented the starter along with two portion plates.

                "We're not married," Scully smiled, sipping on her drink a little bit more, "But we would like as much privacy as we can get."

                Mulder practically choked on a little bit of pita bread as her words came out. _Holy shit, Scully!_ His mind was racing as the chef nodded and headed back up the stairs, leaving the two of them to the first portion of their meal. They both took bites of the tandoori chicken kabobs and looked at each other, basking in the glow of each other's excitingly brilliant nervousness. The starter round was mostly a series of mmmms and "wow" as the new flavors tickled their taste buds. Despite the food's ability to consume their sense of taste and smell, their other senses were tingling at the mere presence of each other. Scully had goose bumps each and every time Mulder's arm brushed against hers, while Mulder shuddered every time he caught a glimpse of Scully's thigh beneath the table.

                They finished the starters and looked at each other's glasses, noticing the absence of liquid in both, while pondering what they should drink next. _I don't want to get drunk but I most certainly like the warm feeling I'm getting from whatever this was._ Scully smiled, thinking about the empty drink glass before her. _Bring it on, liquid courage._ Mulder licked his lips.

                "Maybe we should consult the drink menu?" Scully smiled and picked it up, glancing at a few of the titles before her.

                "Well, lets see what we have then," Mulder looked at the menu with her. "What looks good?"

                "Pardon me, again, are you ready for your next course? Perhaps another drink?" chef Tim Miller had managed to sneak up on them again.

                "Oh, yes, next course would be great. This time I'd like a North Star for my drink," Mulder chose a vodka and schnapps combination for round two.

                "I'd like a French Kiss," the words rolled off of Scully's tongue like smooth silk as she chose the sparkling Cosmopolitan twist.

                Mulder choked and fiddled with his jacket to distract himself for a moment as the glasses and the starter plates were cleared from the table. Scully fiddled with her napkin across her lap, trying not to look at him.

                They were alone again—anxiety kicking them in the face, both flushed with embarrassment, and yet, craving with a desire that had never been felt before. They looked at each other, taking in the other’s insecurities and sheltering them for a moment. It was a much needed solace for their nerves. The waitress had come in only momentarily to deliver their new drinks to them.

                “You’re awfully quiet,” Scully nudged Mulder with her elbow, trying not to let her voice become as shaky as her hands.

                “I feel like the school nerd out with the head cheerleader—and I sound like one at the moment,” Mulder forced out a laugh he went for his drink.

                She didn’t need to say anything to him. Her expression spoke volumes as her eyes sparkled at him, revealing the woman he had never truly known, flicking a light on in the back of his mind that had only been on dim. He was severely attracted to Scully and had done everything possible not to let it come to pass…going after lesser women, burying himself in work, anything to distract him from jeopardizing a platonic bubble around their relationship. He was poking a pretty little hole in that bubble as his eyes continued to linger over hers. They both had been so careful as to not take a leap into the unknown. It was so much easier for them to think of the “what if?” instead of reacting to the “what now?” of stepping over the crooked line in the sand. This time neither of them could think, nor did they want to as their hormones attempted to give them a gentle shove forward. Scully felt her own impulses fire as she put a hand against his arm, bringing the glass back to the table. The distance between them was only inches but it felt like an ocean as they both leaned in toward each other, the sweet, inevitable end within their grasps, a breath away.

                “Ahem…” The chef’s all too familiar voice put a chill down each of their spines as the next portion of their meal had arrived.

                _This is so awkward._ They both thought as they tried desperately to compose themselves in the presence of the Executive Chef, as well as for each other’s sake.

                It wasn’t working.

 

END CHAPTER 2

*****

I am so sorry for the delay of this chapter! Chapter 3 will be up soon…I had a little difficulty with a few of the details in this chapter, but I really hope that it is enjoyable because I sure did enjoy writing it! As always, comments are greatly appreciated and requested.


	3. Fumbling in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 weeks paid vacation together -- nothing possibly could go wrong, right?
> 
> No spoilers - this chapter has too much going on in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note and Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and Skinner belong to TenThirteen, Chris Carter, and FOX Productions. ...oh, Margaret Scully also belongs to TenThirteen, Chris Carter, and FOX Productions.  
> All others are original.   
> Yes, I am pushing boundaries in this story and yes I am aware I am using songs that do not match the decade. Story takes place in the early summer of 1999…most of the songs are from 2005 and beyond. 
> 
> Please enjoy my glorious fluff. 
> 
> Also, I am well aware that the restaurant I have chosen for this fic was not open until January of 2003. But it was the only DC restaurant in my research that jumped out at me as an ultimate location for an appropriate "date".

******

 

10:00pm

                The gentle clanging of bells and finger cymbals brought them out of their nervous trance, a welcomed distraction of a fairly skilled belly-dancing routine by a woman in a red, gold trimmed gown. She wore silky veil across her face, hiding only the details of everything below her nose. Scully smiled as she put down her dessert fork and took the last sip of her drink, glancing at Mulder’s face as though waiting for a sign. He had been looking at her and not at the enchantingly beautiful dancer in front of them. The blush formed on her cheeks, but she didn’t look away as the fluttering in her stomach intensified.

                Mulder grinned in spite of himself and glanced at the dancer, concluding that Scully was far easier on the eyes than the dancer was. He let his eyes linger over her, slowly scanning her under the table. She was deliciously inviting and dangerously alluring as the thought of what was hiding under that dress intruded into his thought process. Once you’ve seen one woman naked you’ve seen it all, Mulder, his thoughts wound around irrationalizing his fixating on her but he continued to postulate on the subject. Yes, he had once served witnessed to Scully’s gently pale figure in a state of undress but it was never in a longing, loving manner—it was purely out of a “researched” mentality for her safety in one form or another. He had not had the pleasure of delicately peeling each little layer away to soak in the vision. He wanted to slowly expose each and every part of her, marvel at the image of her pale skin transition to a beautiful flushed pink and become clad with a sea of Goosebumps. He bit down fairly hard on his lip to quell the urge to clear the table with one arm and gather her up with the other—ravage every inch of her right there in the birdcage.

                What he didn’t know is that her mind was on nearly the same as she watched his fingers grip the edge of the table, his fingertips quivering, knuckles turning white. Calling it seduction would not have done her fantasy justice—and titillating would not have gone far enough. She smiled in acknowledgement of the heat between her thighs, sucking in the air to keep from giving in to her teenaged level of hormonal need for instant gratification. She gripped the cushion beside her and smiled at him tightly to perhaps avoid the awkward reality of her lust driven thoughts. The dancer slowly made her way out of the booth, smiling as she backed out and up the steps, thankfully not noticing either of their body language. The song of the dancer had ended and the shaky beats continued to thud below them, vibrating the seats.

                “You want to get out of here?” Mulder asked as the waitress returned with the bill receipts. “Still have that movie to see…”

                “Absolutely,” Scully grinned, sliding across the cushions with him. “What are we seeing if you don’t mind me asking?”

                “Ah, well we have a few options—The Matrix, The Mummy, American Pie,” Mulder smirked at the third option, continuing. “It’s really what flavor you want tonight. Comedy? Mushy-gushy? Blood curdling, homicidal horror? Drama?”

                “Wait, you’re giving me the power here—I haven’t watched a movie in a theatre since 1989, not at all exaggerating that fact,” Scully elbowed him in the side as they finally exited the building and walked out onto the sidewalk.

                “I’m not exactly a pro either…besides my personal library that you nearly knocked over in my apartment,” Mulder smirked in spite of himself in reference to his collection of adult movies.

                “We’re not going to that kind of theatre, Mulder...I’d rather not stick to the chairs,” Scully pauses, eyes widening. “Or so I’ve heard.”

                Mulder laughed quietly as he watched her blush again, his hand slowly brushing against her fingertips, his own fingers sliding across hers until he awkwardly holds her hand. She smiles somewhat awkwardly at him as she let her fingers lace with his, their palms both a little sweaty as the night air seemed a little brisk for July. Scully pressed her lips together, renewing that light shimmer of remaining sheen of lip gloss that reflected the light from the street lamps above her head. Mulder looked at her from the corner of his eye as he noticed a light flush of pink across the top of her chest; a nervous reaction perhaps.

                “So what’s it going to be, Agent Scully? Are we tickling, scaring, or soothing you with little romantic bursts of mushy stuff?” Mulder continued, maneuvering in front of her for a second, walking backwards. “I’m not picky.”

                “Lets go with The Mummy—I liked the original a lot; maybe the remake will be somewhat similar?” Scully shrugged her shoulders a little. “I’ll warn you in advance that I usually suck at picking movies. Notoriously terrible at decision making when it comes to entertainment.”

                “The Mummy it is then—“ Mulder nodded. “I’m a little relieved at your choice because I read the advertisements for American Pie and I’m thinking we’d be stuck in a theatre full of hormonal, idiot teenagers who will spend more time doing extra-curricular activities—“

                “Afraid you’ll get ideas?” the words slipped out before Scully could prevent herself from the ill-presented Freudian slip as she brought her free hand to her mouth, covering it immediately.

                Mulder stammered, his tongue struggling to put together a word but instead uttered a syllabic “umm” sound as they arrived at the vehicle. Mulder slipped his hand reluctantly out of a gentle grip with hers and went to the handle, opening the door. He again tried to put together a “your chariot, m’lady” but could only spit out a graceless, meek “mmmhm” sound, nodding like a dumbass in her direction. _You’re so goddamn awkward, idiot._ Mulder thought as she wrinkled her eyebrows at him while silently sliding into the car. _She thinks you’re stupid—and you know what? You are. Stupid. Pathetic._ He shut the door gently and circled the car toward the driver’s side.

                “Pull yourself together, moron, it’s just Scully…”

                But this wasn’t JUST Scully this time. This was Dana Katherine Scully, easily the most beautiful woman that could tolerate his company for more than ten seconds—this was the Dana Scully that he has been undressing with his eyes since they came up with this booby trap of an idea. Vacationing with Scully? Two weeks? He knew this could either be amazing or end up prematurely aging him purely from the sheer stress of her. He gripped the steering wheel, completely oblivious to the fact that she had been saying his name for a least a minute straight.

                “Mulder—are you okay?” Scully was concerned as he seemed to be completely on autopilot on their way to the theatre.

                “Hmm? What was that, Scully?” He finally gave her his attention, sweating bullets as he realized they were already parked at the theatre.

                “You’ve been completely ignoring me since we got in the car…” The sound of genuine disappointment was apparent in her voice as she sighed a little bit, sheepishly continuing. “Well we’re here…and the movie is going to start in about 10 minutes. We should probably get in there.”

                Before Mulder could answer back Scully was out of the car. “Scully…”

                Mulder stumbled out of the car as she turned her back to the car, seemingly withdrawn from the situation. _This doesn’t mean anything. It never does._ Scully determined as she took a deep breath and put on a happy façade for him. Her stance went rigid, crossing her arms as he stood in front of her.

                “Hey…” Mulder placed his hands on her shoulders, immediately softening her stance as she nearly melted into nothing in front of him. “I’m sorry, I had a minor case of tunnel vision back there—completely lost track of myself—“

                “Mulder, you don’t have to apologize to me, I’m fine,” She half lied to him as she continued to fight a battle in her head.

                “Did I mention in the last hour that you look absolutely gorgeous tonight?” Mulder brought her left hand up to his mouth, lightly kissing the top of her hand.

                He broke her with his words as she let her eyes fall to the pavement, surrendering to his gesture of tenderness as she shook her head somewhat innocently. They were nervous again as their gazes lingered just a little too long both willing themselves forward and back, fighting the distance while keeping it safely between them, breaths hovering achingly close to a cataclysm—a kiss.

                “GET A ROOM!” The shout of a group of teenagers stopped them from actually consummating the kiss as they were once again interrupted by an unwelcomed third party.

                “We’ll miss the previews—“ Scully’s eyes stayed closed as she teetered back on her heels, sucking in a breath as she picked up her dignity from the ground beneath her.

“We can’t have that, can we?” Mulder gently kissed her cheek, bringing her back to reality, eyes sparkling at him softly.

                She nodded in agreement, following him toward the doors where they purchased their tickets to the film, foregoing the popcorn and soda, and headed into a poorly lit hallway toward theatre 3 on the left hand side of the hallway. The pair sat down near the front in a space where there weren’t couples and families tucked into their seats tightly with their snacks, some mothers and fathers hushing smaller children into finally quitting the conversation and/or tantrums.

                They scooted into a row clad with center seat and aisle seat singles that dared not have another human within arms-length, finding only two open seats. The man in the aisle seat gave them a nasty stare from behind his nerd-status t-shirt that ironically said “I’m with stupid”, the arrow pointing appropriately to his own face. Mulder couldn’t help but smirk as he scooted past, the side of his legs bumping somewhat hard into the man’s knees causing him to mutter “do you mind” as he uncomfortably moved past. Scully rolled her eyes indignantly as she passed, smacking her own kneecap against the guy’s, tripping her in the process. Scully tumbled forward, landing on Mulder in his seat.

                “Mulder…I’m so sorry,” Scully’s voice had a sweet, apologetic twang to it as she swung her arm around the back of him, looking at him from his lap.

                Mulder smiled and touched the small of her back, whispering, “No, you can stay here the entire movie…I don’t mind.”

                Scully giggles girlishly, negatively capturing the attention of people behind them as a handful of popcorn hits her on the top of her head and rolls down the front of her dress, sticking between the fabric and her skin. Mulder grapples with the urge to retrieve it, opting to help her to her seat, watching intently as she fishes popcorn scraps out of the top of her dress. She glances at him, smirking just a little until the lights go dark in the theatre and the paused hum fills the room before the green preview screen pops up for all to see.

                They settled back in their seats with Mulder resting his hand on the arm rest between them, brushing his shoulder against her skin but received no indication that she was at all interested in the gesture. He exhaled silently, rebuffed, until her tiny fingers slid up under his palm and traced a circle in the middle before pulling his hand onto her lap while resting her head against his shoulder. Mulder grinned like a schoolboy on his first date and mouthed “yes” as Scully continued to snuggle against him, his heart thudding in his chest like a drum beat that he knew she most certainly could feel as she peeked at him.

                “Am I making you uncomfortable?” She unconsciously batted her eyelashes as she whispered up at him.

                “No—dinner’s just given me heartburn, you stay put,” He soothed her, smiling at her. “Watch the movie, silly.”

 

 

1:45 AM – In the car on the way back to Scully’s apartment

 

                The pair had been largely silent on the car ride home while the hum of popular hits played on the stereo causing both to poorly sing and hum along with the tunes, both causing bursts of laughter at the other’s expense but in sweet jest. Scully had been rolling a thick wintergreen mint around in her mouth with the pad of her tongue, sending it to the roof of her mouth, back down and in a circle before letting the edge of it peek out between her lips before sucking it back in again. Mulder finally noticed the light clicking noise of the mint hitting Scully’s teeth and caught a glimpse of the white sliding back into her mouth.

                “Scully, what on earth are you doing?” Mulder smirked as he pulled into the parking lot.

                Scully shook the tin of mints at him, raising an eyebrow. “Want one?”

                “Waste no time in cracking that open, Scully, and sharing with the rest of the class—I’m surprised you haven’t passed out from my breath yet,” He felt comfortable as he popped two mints in his mouth, smiling at her. “Thanks. Now I’ll be less offensive.”

                Mulder parked the car and watched as Scully slid out of the passenger side before hurrying like an eager puppy to offer his arm. Scully smiled at him and slid her arm around his, huddling in close as they got to the security door. Mulder knew the key code as he punched it in, enunciating each number at Scully causing her to let out a laugh until the door beeped to let them in.

                “Mulder I had a really good time—I haven’t had a lot of dates in the past six years and well, this one easily came in at number one. Thank you,” Scully fished her house keys out of her purse and jiggled them toward the keyhole.

                “It’s easy to have a good time with someone who I want to have a good time with. I don’t say it enough but you’re the most important woman in my life, professionally and personally—I wanted to show just how much,” Mulder fumbled with his words and noticed that she was having a hard time hitting the key hole. “Do you need some assistance with that? I might be better at aiming than you.”

                Scully nervously laughed as she continued to fumble with the key, desperately hoping he was not noticing that she had not once made it into the keyhole. “I’ll get it eventually—this lock is just tough, you have to jiggle it just right or it won’t slide open. I’m sure you’re not really familiar with how much this lock sticks.”

                Mulder reaches out, placing his hand over the top of her hand and directs her fingers until the key finally slides effortlessly into the lock causing an electric twinge to surge up her arm and down her spine. The feeling is deliciously intoxicating as she looks up, into his beautiful eyes, her teeth capturing her bottom lip at the corner for a moment while drawing a breath in, making a slight squeak of approval.

                “See? I’m good at these things,” Mulder doesn’t pull his hand away as her head turns, looking at him with those beautiful blue eyes.

                “Would you just make a move already?” Scully found herself tugging at his shirt, blurting out the question like she’d been dying to ask it all night. “Please stop making me wait; it’s agoni—“

                Mulder brought both hands up to her cheeks and pulled her into a frantic, door rattling kiss that pulled them both slightly off balance as he leaned into her, pushing her bottom against the door. It was like a flood gate opened as the heat between them spilled out in a single moment that didn’t need to end any time soon. Mulder fumbled with the key in the door, her hand attempting to turn the handle until the door finally gave way, letting them into her apartment.

                Both of them stopped kissing long enough to let out slight chuckles before going after each other’s mouths again in the dark like ruthless teenagers in the backseat of a car. Mulders hands went in search of a zipper on her dress while hers had already unbuttoned his shirt all the way to his navel. He tugged and pulled at the top of her dress along her back as well as under her arms but received no payoff as he gently trapped her against the countertop.

                Mulder pulled his mouth away from hers, half laughing. “Does this thing have a combination lock or something?”

                As Scully started to pull back her elbow hit a mug on the edge of the counter, knocking it to the floor, shattering it. The sound was unbelievably loud and was followed by the click of a light in the kitchen coming on, flooding the room momentarily. Both were blinded for a half second until Scully turned her head, a look of absolute horror on her face.

                “Mom?!” Scully tumbled backwards and landed on her butt on the floor.

                “Dana…Fox?” Margaret Scully did her best to hold in a laugh as she watched her daughter attempt to collect herself while Mulder feverishly buttoned his shirt, missing at least two buttons in the process.

                “Mrs. Scully, how nice to see you tonight?” Mulder wiped the lip gloss from his mouth and helped Scully to her feet, neither willing to look at each other just yet.

                “Fox, it’s Margaret, I’m not that old—I should’ve called first,” Margaret’s eyes went from Mulder to her daughter as she tried to put on her best apologetic face but could only keep herself from smirking just a little bit.

                “I better go…” Mulder’s face was immediately pink as he tried to look Scully in the eye before giving Margaret Scully a quick hug. “Margaret, it’s always a pleasure seeing you...I have paperwork to file, I’m sure you understand.”

                “Oh, I’m sure you do,” Margaret stifled another laugh as Mulder backed into the counter, pulling Scully back out the door by her wrist.

                “Mulder, I’m so sorry…I don’t have any idea why my mother picks tonight, of all nights, to show up at my apartment,” Scully runs her fingers through her hair, trying to pull herself together only to get pulled into another loving, less frantic lip lock by Mulder in the hallway.

                The door was still open and Margaret Scully shook her head before heading to the living room, resisting the urge to laugh again, giving her daughter a moment to gather herself. Mulder pulled away just enough for air to pass between them, their eyes still closed in a savory moment of bliss.

                “Tomorrow you come get me—I promise I won’t have any guests waiting in my apartment when we get back,” Mulder lightly ran a hand down her cheek as her eyes opened.

                “Ass…I have a walk of shame to commence. Pray for me?” Scully smirked as she started to move toward the door.

                “You can always come home with me—“

                “Don’t tempt me right now—I’ll see you tomorrow. Seven okay?” Scully held onto the door and leaned on it like a school girl having just received her first kiss.

                “Seven is fine—goodnight, Scully,” Mulder reluctantly began walking backwards toward the main entrance.

                “Night, Mulder,” Scully watched him go before sliding into her apartment, closing the door behind her.

                She turned around just in time to see a cheese ball grin on her mother’s face, preparing for a grilling of a lifetime. _This is going to be far more amusing for her than it is for me…this won’t be so bad, maybe_ , she determined until she saw her mother begin to tap on the couch next to her, the look of “spill your guts” screaming at her like neon across her forehead. Scully sighed. _On second thought._

End Chapter three

 

Please, please, please leave me feedback. I had way too much fun writing this.


	4. I can't sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2 weeks paid vacation together - nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
> 
> (Fluff)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note and Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Maggie Scully, and Skinner belong to TenThirteen, Chris Carter, and FOX Productions. All others are original.
> 
> Please enjoy the glorious fluff.
> 
> Early summer of 1999 -- a few contextual inaccuracies exist, they are there for creative purposes only.

******

 

                _I’m going to kill myself. No really, I’m going to walk to my bureau, pull open the top drawer, remove my service revolver from the holster and bang! Dead. Simplest solution so I can put myself out of my misery right here, right now. I really should throw myself out that window over there—it’s not that much of a fall though, I wouldn’t guarantee that I’d die or impale myself on the fence since that’s a bit of a stretch. Maybe if I run really fast then jump as I’m diving out the window it’ll do the tri—_

“Dana Katherine Scully, are you listening to me?” Maggie Scully snapped her fingers in front of Scully’s face as she stared blankly out the window.

                _If I don’t answer, will you leave or shut up?_ Scully looked at her, attempt to not look like a teenager getting grilled for information. “What, Mom?”

                “How many times do I have to ask this question before you’ll answer?” Maggie was actually more interested in gossiping but to Scully it felt like cruel and inhumane torture as she sighed at her mother audibly. “…Because those sad little sighs aren’t going to dissuade me from asking the questions. They didn’t work when you were 13 and they definitely do not work now.”

                “I really don’t think you’re supposed to have these conversations with your mother, at any age,” Scully took a sip of the coffee that Maggie had set on the table beside her.

                “Well, we’re adults now, Dana, and your father and I always had a pretty good sex li—“

                “La-la-la-la-la, I can’t hear you!” Scully’s hands immediately covered her ears, eyes clamping shut, frantically trying not to hear her mother speak.

                “You’re a grown up, we can discuss adult things, Dana,” Maggie scoffed at her daughter’s teenager behavior, smiling in spite of herself.

                “Mom, don’t, I’ll vomit right here, right now…”

                Maggie lets out a little laugh as she watches her daughter’s normally matter-of-fact personality degrade to the level of a teenaged girl who accidentally walked in on her parents having sex. “Oh please, you’re not 14 anymore, you know that your father and I had se—“

                Scully resembled the teenaged version of herself as she began making gagging noises while covering her ears “Shut up, shut up, shut upppp!”

                Maggie rolls her eyes, resigning her attempt at best friend bonding, and picking up her mug of tea, drinking a sip here and there. “So are you sticking with the story that there was a medical reason why I caught you and Fox undressing each other in the kitchen?”

                “I didn’t say medical…I said logical and scientific evaluation of hedonistic cultures in a purely experimental capacity,” Scully grinned from behind her coffee mug, sipping at the cooled coffee, feeling quite accomplished by the effortless façade of words. “And I am not discussing this any further with you. Next question please?”

                “Uh huh…do I need to have that condom talk with you again because you know what they say—“

                “Mother, really? I’m quite in tune with the matters of protection but I really don’t think I need to make sure that I have a box full of rubbers at my disposal when it comes to Mulder,” Scully blinked, resisting the sweet, tender thoughts from entering her already clouded mind as she tried to make small talk with her overly chatty mother. “Besides…this conversation is making me have indigestion.”

                “Safety first, Dana—and what do you mean when it comes to Mulder? How many times have you two romped through the kitchen?!” The question made Scully choke on her coffee, sending it up her nasal passages and out her nostrils.

                “I’m not dignifying that with a response—“ Scully set the coffee cup back down on the end table, wiping the remnants of coffee off of her nostrils.

                “So a lot then?” Maggie persisted, causing the vein on Scully’s forehead to pulsate as she tilted her head in frustration.

                “I’m sure you won’t believe that tonight was the first situation of that kind if you insist on pestering me about it further—no I will not give you details,” Scully continued, sitting awkwardly on the couch, “as if this wasn’t awkward enough, giving you a play by play would mean I better just off myself now.”

                “Your brother is going to have a conniption the moment he finds out,” Maggie smiled from behind her coffee, knowing exactly what buttons to push.

                “…Which is exactly why you’re not going to tell Bill about what you think you saw…”

                “Think? Last time I checked I knew my way around a game of cat and mouse—“

                “You’re just going to pretend like tonight never happened and you’re going to stop talking about it right this second…”

                “Dana, oh please, you forget that I caught your sister kissing one too many boyfriends on the couch. I’m holding on to this for quite some time…you sure knew how to piss off your brother with each and every man in your life.”

                “Mom! I really don’t need Bill getting a wild hair up his ass and going after Mulder for tonight because I’m the one that made the first mo—crap!” Scully pounded her fist against the arm of the couch as Maggie let out a delightful laugh.

                “Oh you did, did you?” Maggie rested her arm against the back of the couch, proud of herself.

                “I bet you’re just so delighted in your tricks of manipulating me into spilling my guts. That is not fair, Mom, and you know it.”

                “Quite satisfied, actually…oh please, life is hardly ever fair, Dana. You just have to figure out which things are a little less unfair.”

                The cell phone on the edge of the table began ringing making Scully let out a sigh of relief. Instinctively she reached for her phone and saw Mulder’s name pop up, sending her into a cute 16 year old girl moment where her cheeks became instantly bright pink and traveled down her neck and the top of her chest. _Is it hot in here?_ She silently asked herself as she involuntarily took a glance at her mother, who was giving her the “Oh I’m not even close to done with this conversation” look, arms crossing in a vexed position, as Scully brought the cellular phone to her ear while sliding off of the couch.

                “Scully…” Scully glared at Maggie, who shook her head in frustration causing the inner teenager to rear its ugly head as she darted her tongue out defiantly in response.

                “How’s the walk of shame?” Mulder’s voice was a pleasant, needed pause from Scully’s mother’s prying ears and stubborn curiosity.

                “Hold on, Mulder—“ Scully pressed the phone to her chest and grinned at her mother, quickly giving her a kiss on the forehead, “goodnight mom…you know where the linens are for the spare room. Knock yourself out.”

                Maggie started to open her mouth again but Scully didn’t wait for an affirmation as she headed into her room and shut the door behind her, bringing her phone back up to her mouth.    

                “Scully, was I just muffled by lefty or righty? Not that it changes anything,” Mulder chuckled on the other end.

                “Dead center—and if you must know, I just got grilled, you saved me from the harassment for my mother to get to the gory details of what she just walked in on,” Scully slipped off her dress and bra with one hand, the clasp of the bra snapping audibly against her back slightly.

Scully wrinkled her nose and held back a squeak from the sharp, minor pain, rubbing the spot awkwardly before sliding her nightgown over her head and down.

                “What are you wearing, Scully?” Mulder’s voice dropped an octave as Scully slipped under her covers.

                “You can’t handle the answer, Mulder—anyway, what’s up? Couldn’t go another 18 hours without hearing my voice?” Scully grinned as she turned the light off in the bedroom and looked at her window; the moon’s light trying to peek through the slats in the closed blinds.

                “I actually was going to ask what you want me wearing tomorrow since you’re picking out the activities…don’t say “nothing” because that’s cheating on the concept of going out,” Mulder let out a casual sigh, his voice oozing sweetness and confidence through the phone.

                “Casual—nothing fancy,” Scully had something in mind already as she looked at the clock before 2:00 AM popped up on the display. “Mulder, it’s 2:00 in the morning, I’m overstimulated, as are you, and I need sleep.”

                “Over-stimulated? There is no such thing, Scully,” Mulder laughed as Scully fluffed a second pillow behind her back, resting her head against the headboard just a little, reaching for the tv remote.

                “Yes there is but I refuse to argue that point,” Mulder continued as he could hear the hum of the tv being on despite the low volume level. “TV this late at night, Scully? And since when do you have a tv in your bedroom?”

                “Since last Christmas, Charlie said I needed to be normal in at least one facet of my life—not that I really needed another TV, it’s nice for catching up on a little weekend CNN,” Scully flipped the channels, stopping on an infomercial, her eyes immediately rolling at the lack of anything worthwhile on at 2 in the morning.

                “Hmmm…CNN? Are you sure you don’t mean Skin-amax? Oh wait, that’s me,” Mulder let out a big laugh as Scully set the remote on her nightstand, yawning over the top of his voice through the phone. “Tired, Scully?”

                “Mmmhmmm—goodnight, Mulder, see you tomorrow…well, later today I mean,” Scully seemed far away as her eyes blinked slowly.

                “Sweet dreams, Scully,” Mulder’s voice was soothing, a welcomed gesture that made sleeping alone in her bed a little less sad.

                “Goodnight, Mulder,” Scully hung up and plugged in her phone, sighing softly before yanking the covers up and over her head, muttering. “I really hate sleeping alone.”

 

 

 

4:00 AM – Mulder’s apartment

                The murmur of a low volume television and the bubbling of the fish tank’s filtration cut the silence in the darkened living room. The only light came from the dull glow of the television infomercial, lighting up the profile of Mulder’s face as he stared up at the ceiling, sleepless. He took in a low, breathy sigh and sat up, eying the open bedroom door over his shoulder. Sure, he had replaced the ridiculous water bed with a much more sensible queen sized monstrosity but he realized that he had only slept in it maybe twice, at most. He hated being in an empty bed and found it depressing to think of no one next to him in that cold, memory-less bedroom. His couch had memories attached to it—of sitting next to Scully at Christmas time, after countless wild goose chases, gentle hugs and gun drawing,  intense moments that lasted longer than he could ever have imagined they would…but he wouldn’t change a single second. Those were special memories no matter how intense or frightening—they were theirs together, unique to them and no one else. The blanket that, more often than not, was draped over the backrest and held onto the scent of Scully’s perfume better than any article of clothing could and he found himself comforted by even the smallest presence of his partner.

                Mulder’s shoulders slumped and he reluctantly laid back down, pulling the blanket over his torso as he began praying for sleep. He reached over and pressed the volume button on the remote until he could actually hear the hyperactive salesman hocking the latest “miracle” cleaner to whoever was unlucky enough to be awake during the wee hours of the still dark mornings. He tilted his head back and looked toward the window, the blinds flipped shut, the street lamps sending little slivers of stark, white light across the ceiling. He let out a low groan of discontent, bringing his hands up to his chest, crossing them just slightly in a pensive pose as the air snuck out the gap between his lips.

                “It could be yours for only 9.99 plus shipping and handling,” Mulder mimicked the man, rolling his eyes at the end of his sentence, blowing a raspberry after before continuing in his own tone. “One bullet is all I’d need to end this suffering, one way or another…”

                Mulder’s eyes closed while he attempted to get comfortable again, fluffing a throw pillow before settling back onto it. Just as sleep began to lick at the backs of his eyelids a knock at the door brought him back to a rigid, upright state, his hair tussled from tossing and turning for the last two hours. Mulder ran a hand across the top of his head but the motion didn’t fix the problem. He got up from his half comfortable position and grumbled as he went toward the door, explicative after explicative rolling off his tongue with every step.

                “There had better be a good reason why you’re knocking on my door at four in the morning,” Mulder didn’t even bother to look through the peep hole as he unlatched the locks, swinging the door open with a bit of momentum behind it. “Oh, hey, it’s not seven yet, Scully…”

                Scully teetered on her heels, her bottom lip half trapped between her teeth before she spoke in a soft, meek voice, “I know, Mulder—and I couldn’t sleep.”

                She looked like she was trembling as she shrugged her shoulders, looking up at him with those brilliant baby blues that made him a little weak in the knees. For a moment they were silently staring at each other, sleeplessness wearing on them mixed with emotions as they were very clearly smudging the line in the sand, barreling down uncharted territories.

                “Are you going to let me in?” Scully cracked a little grin, her voice soft and slightly meek. “Or do you just plan to stare at me until I leave?”

                Mulder’s eyes blinked rapidly as he slid out of the way, embarrassed. “Oh, of course, come in, Scully…don’t mind me, the lack of sleep has kicked me a little off kilter.”

                Scully pressed her lips together and stepped into the apartment, a little tension building up in her chest out of a mild, inexplicable fear as she realized how this may look at first glance. Mulder pushed the door shut, locking the deadbolt and drawing the chain lock before turning to look at her. He smiled at the effortlessly beautiful woman before him, despite the little bit of puffiness around the eyes from the obvious lack of sleep. Mulder held his breath for a moment as the realization hit him that he couldn’t have imagined her being more stunning than she was at dinner—well, until right in that very moment, anyway—but she was. Her pale, makeup-less face glowed, the subtle rosiness in her cheeks sparking at him in just the right way.

                “Wow…I just…”

                His voice was a little frantic as his heart was beating so hard he could feel the beats up in his ears, flooding his face with a wave of heat.

                “You just what, Mulder?” Scully set her purse near the couch and slipped out of her shoes, gripping the opening of her slightly heavy overcoat tightly closed.

                Mulder laughed nervously and crossed his arm, shrugging his shoulders, eyes darting to the collar of the jacket where her fingers rested against one of the four large buttons at the top of her coat. “Just you…”

                “Just me what, Mulder?” The bravery crept out of Scully as her voice dropped an octave to a sultrier, smooth sound with a hint of rasp, involuntarily licking the corner of her lips as her fingers began untying the jacket at waist level, her eyes searching his until finally capturing his focus.

                Mulder inhaled sharply and held a deep breath in for just a moment as her fingers lingered on the jacket tie, pulling the loop loose before moving up to the top of the coat to unbutton it. “What are you doing, Scully?”

                “What does it look like I’m doing?” She could hardly believe the sound of her own voice as she continued what most certainly was complete torture for Mulder but she was discovering that she couldn’t help herself as she slowly unbuttoned each button on the front of her jacket lapel, capturing the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth.

                Mulder brought a hand up to his chin in almost a disbelieving yet intrigued pose, eyebrows raising up a little bit, voice cracking again. “I don’t know if that answer is safe right now, Scully…”

                Scully let one button fall open but it revealed only the upper portion of the nearly knee length coat. “Why isn’t it safe?”

                “…I really want to believe that I’m awake right now and if I’m not, I really hope that I do not wake up…” A second button, below the first, is pulled out of the jacket front but now the only thing on Mulder’s mind are Scully’s noticeably naked legs below the edge of the jacket.

                “Why do you think you’re asleep, Mulder?” Scully’s confidence began to override the genuine bundle of nerves in the back of her mind that were screaming at her to stop embarrassing herself but the look on Mulder’s face told her that for once she was doing something right; the opposite conclusion of every fleeting glance up until the day before.

                For the first time she felt an exhilaration and a rising passion that defied every deliberate action she had made before tonight. There was something intense but raw about allowing desire to be dominant. No regrets. Mulder’s eyes traveled up her body as Scully’s hand hovered over the last remaining button, her delicate, porcelain skin practically glowing at the top of the jacket from the still flashing television screen. “Scully…”

                Scully slid her finger along the button and pressed it through the button hole to free it but kept a grip on the coat front, holding it closed. “Answer me, Mulder…”

                Mulder let out a little groan and took a step forward, pressing the tips of his fingers against her knuckles. “I’ll tell you if you let go of the coat, Scully…”

                Scully blushed at the realization that he was taking back control of the situation, which was a feeling that she wasn’t familiar with but felt drawn to. She inhaled a deep breath and began to relax her hands as Mulder slipped his fingers over hers, gently pulling her hands down and away from the coat.

                Surprisingly the coat stayed shut to the surprising delight of Mulder as he brought both hands up to the collar, locking eyes with hers, before beginning to speak. “Scully, there are so many reasons why this feels like it might not be real and not because I don’t desperately want it to be real after what happened at your apartment tonight but because I’ve been fantasizing about this exact moment for a very long time…I just didn’t know if it would ever get to be a reality.”

                Scully stayed quiet as Mulder’s fingers played against the material of her coat before slowly folding the front open. Mulder’s gaze was still locked with hers but he was able to catch a glimmer of the pale blue silky material of her thin nightgown with his peripheral vision. Mulder watched Scully’s mouth as she bit down on her bottom lip, the rosiness in her cheeks intensifying with heat as he took another step forward, his index finger tilting her head up just slightly as he leaned forward.

                Instead of a kiss, Mulder’s mouth diverted near her ear as he tilted her head just a little bit, whispering to her. “And if I couldn’t take the plunge into the scarily uncertain yet exciting moment that presented itself just a few short hours ago then I deserved to wake up with nothing but another moment missed and that would truly be the most pitiful outcome I could’ve ever imagined.”

                Mulder’s free hand traced a line from her other earlobe down her neck, over her collarbone before making the reverse action again. Scully shivered and inhaled another deep breath, this time audibly, as the heat traveled from her cheeks to her neck and chest. While the heat surged through her, Mulder’s lips made a “connect-the-dots” trail of kisses down along her neck from the curve of her shoulder up to her earlobe again.

                “Agent Scully, I do believe you are blushing…” Mulder’s fingers played against the curve of her neck before both hands traveled to her shoulders, sliding the coat slowly off of her shoulders, lips still lining her jaw with sweet little kisses. “Should I stop, Scully?”

                Scully’s knees shook as she steadied herself, her fingers gripping the belt loops on his jeans for leverage and to pull him a little closer. “Please don’t stop—don’t ever stop.”

                The sweetest sound was the ragged yearning in her voice bringing his confidence to a new height as his mouth practically devoured hers, pressing her against the wall while their arms became sweetly entwined in a passionate embrace. Mulder steadied his stance and tilted his head just enough to get better access to her mouth, the gentle “hmmm” of their breaths battling through split seconds of freedom to no avail bringing the heat between them higher and higher with every passing second. Mulder laced his fingers through Scully’s hair and tilted her head back a little bit, capturing her bottom lip between his teeth before enveloping her mouth again. Scully’s fingers found their way under the bottom of his tee shirt and around to his back where her nails lightly dragging along his skin until getting about midway up his back. The sensation momentarily broke their frantic kiss as Mulder groaned, his head tilting back as the wave of heat overcame him. Mulder inhaled and looked down at her, admiring the beautifully disheveled hair and her slightly swollen lips, eyes half rolling into the back of her head from the floodgate he just opened.

                Mulder leaned in again, lavishing her neck and clavicle with soft, long kisses. Scully’s head slightly tilted back, resting against the door frame, her eyes falling to watch his every move. Scully’s fingers found their way to Mulder’s head where she ran her fingers through his hair, little moans escaping her lips as he began to travel over the top of the fabric of her nightgown, dragging his fingers down her sides before gripping her hips aggressively. A slightly sharper, louder moan resonated from her mouth causing his eyes to divert upward, gazing up at her from a nearly kneeling position. Her eyes begged for more and he happily obliged as he began to stand, lifting her off of the floor in the process, pulling her thighs up and apart. As though it were second nature, Scully wrapped her legs around him, her hands wrapping around his neck, pulling him into another door rattling kiss. Mulder’s left hand slipped to her bottom, gripping her enough to cause another, more guttural moan to come out that brought her so off balance that she had to break their ravenous lip lock.

                “Mulder...” Scully’s chest was heaving against him, lips mere millimeters apart.

                “Fuck.” Was the only word that Mulder could muster as Scully’s eyes diverted to the left, indicating the bedroom door without needing to say a single word.

                A little smile curved across Scully’s lips as Mulder’s free hand reached for the bedroom door and twisted it until it finally gave way. Mulder admired this incredibly sensual woman with her legs wrapped tightly around him, looking almost up at her in the process.  He pulled her into another kiss with a little less force behind it before pushing the door open to his never used bedroom. The sheets and comforter on the bed were remarkably clean, the fabric softener smell still clung to the air above the bed as they neared it. Mulder pulled back the comforter and top sheet in one smooth motion and climbed atop the still new mattress, positioning himself and Scully into a more comfortable position with her head hovering just above the pillows.

                Scully’s bottom and legs finally met the mattress and Mulder pulled back as she tugged at his shirt, pulling it up and over his head to free part of him from his clothes. She tossed the shirt onto the floor and pulled him back down, into another loving, yearning kiss while wrapping her legs back around him, hands gripping his shoulders from under his arms. Mulder’s hands pressed against the headboard as he positioned himself over her, pressing into her involuntarily. Scully broke their kiss again as she let out a sharp, wanton cry, digging her nails into his shoulder blades. Mulder smirked at her and brought his hands to her hips, pulling her nightgown up until her thighs were exposed. He pulled back and dragged his thumbs down her hips until the black, lacy material of her panties were fully exposed. He slid back a little more and brought both of her knees up and together, continuing to slide them down until the delicate material was completely free of her flesh. Scully pursed her lips together and watched as Mulder tossed the pair of panties onto his discarded shirt on the floor. Instinctively she pressed her knees together and blushed as he brought his attention back to her, grinning at her almost boyishly while rubbing her thighs.

                “You are so beautiful, Scully,” his fingers were playing with the hem of her nightgown, contemplating whether he should pursue this further.

                Scully had bedroom eyes as she bit the corner of her lip and sat up almost completely then ran her fingertips across his cheek before lovingly kissing him, her hands slipping to his waistline. Mulder brought both hands up to cup her face in his hands while their kiss intensified again, tongues begging entry into the other’s mouth. Scully unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and guided him to his knees, pushing the jeans down as far as she could with his body weight still on the material from his knees down. Scully put her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto her, managing to slide his jeans the rest of the way off with her lower leg and feet in the process.

                “Now this is fair, Mulder—“ Scully broke their kiss and smiled girlishly at him, her voice soft and a little ragged.

                “You are awfully good at that,” Mulder raised an eyebrow before continuing, “Who have you been practicing on?”

                The giggle was sweet and played on his ears. “Shut up, Mulder.”

                Scully dragged her thumb down Mulder’s mouth until his mouth opened just slightly, giving her the opportunity to steal another kiss, her eyes closing to soak in the pure passion between them. Mulder slid his hand along the outside of her right leg and brought it up and around his hip again causing her left leg to naturally match the right. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating to her as she rubbed his arms, electrifying him with her touch. Mulder pressed one hand against the headboard then grinded down and forward against her, the heat radiating from between her thighs. Scully broke their kiss and tilted her head back, moaning loudly into the air.

                “Jesus Christ, Mulder!” the sound of her voice was almost hoarse as she looked up at him, her thighs shaking against his pelvis.

                Mulder didn’t anticipate this feeling quite as amazing and intense as it was as his breath went ragged. “Do you see what you do to me, Scully?”

                Scully pushed herself and Mulder up with one hand and she used a burst of raw energy to push him all the way backward until his head was against the end of the bed, his hips and thighs tightly underneath of her. Scully laced her fingers with his and pressed his hands against the bed up by his head, dragging her lips across his jawline from one side to the other, purposely avoiding his lips each time. Mulder’s mouth tried to chase hers as she dragged her lips down past his chin down his neck then watched as she gazed up at him from his chest. Scully repeated the motion going upwards, again missing his lips but teased him a little more with a little nibble of his neck. Mulder bucked underneath of her, bringing her forward just a little, her soft moans muffling against his neck. Scully slowly rested her pelvis back down against his, her heat colliding with his causing a pulse of energy to run through him like an electrical surge. Mulder let out a low growl as Scully teased his mouth again, alternating between dragging and nibbling all the way to his collarbone and back up. Mulder bucked her hard again, this time freeing both of his hands from hers to grip her hips to fully impress his erection against her.

                “Holy fuck!” Scully cried out against his neck, breathing heavily and fast, her entire body shaking with desire.

                For a moment they stayed still until Scully’s breathing slowed and she began to sit up, straddling him. Her hair fell around her face as her fingers dragged down his chest to his stomach. Mulder gripped her thighs again and looked up at her, the sexual energy radiating off of her making her almost glowing. Their eyes met, the electricity between them at a fever pitch as the last bit of caution was thrown to the wind. They knew that this was the point of no return as Scully’s hips began a slow, tantalizing circle, causing both of their hearts to race. Scully ran her fingers through her own hair and tilted her head just slightly as their gazes locked, hearts racing at the same pace. Scully’s circular hip motion began to hasten in speed causing Mulders to meet the motion, the pressure against her pelvis becoming almost too intense for the both of them. Just as though they had been meant to do this together, Mulder maneuvered himself to a near seated position, wrapping one arm around her back as he took over control once again. Mulder shimmied out of his boxers, kicking them off of one ankle to the floor while Scully raised her arms above her head, pulling the light, silky nightgown off in one, fluid motion, discarding it on the pile of clothes beside the bed.

                They paused again as their skin touched, chest pressed against chest with Scully’s slightly higher from the body position of her mid-air straddle. Mulder traced her jawline with one hand while his other hand guided her down onto him, into her. They moaned in time with each other and met each other’s gentle thrusts. Mulder found her mouth again and lavished her with passionate kisses while slowly maneuvering her against the bed, her head resting comfortably on one of the fluffy pillows. Mulder slowly moved back, reluctantly sliding out of her and thrust back into her again, the moans increasing in volume and intensity with every move. The words between them had all but stopped but their hearts were beating in time, their bodies moving in sweet, perfect rhythm as they found something between each other that they could never have imagined they’d venture to. The thrusts and moans began to run together, their passions igniting until the cataclysm of love, lust, and energy took them over. Time became a blur and as their bodies began to ride through their mutual climax in equally intense fashion, the sweat beads running down their bodies until both had more than spent their remaining energy, finally finding sleep in the comfort of each other’s arms.

 

 

 

 

 

*** END CHAPTER ***


	5. Do these elevators still have cameras?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks paid vacation together -- nothing could possibly go wrong, right?
> 
> (Fluff)
> 
> Early summer of 1999 - anything contextually set after that time is for creative advancement, nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note and Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, The Lone Gunman, and Skinner belong to TenThirteen, Chris Carter, and FOX Productions. All others are original.
> 
> Please enjoy this little bit of fluff.
> 
> I took great enjoyment writing it--please give feedback or any critiques as long as they are constructive.

10:45AM – Mulder’s apartment

Friday, July 16th 1999

 

                The late morning sun was already peeking through the small slats in the mini-blinds, casting an interrupted stream of light to bounce off the disheveled bedding in Mulder’s seldom used bedroom. The dresser had a soft layer of dust across the surface along with part of the nightstand, where a lamp had been knocked over haphazardly during the incredibly short night. On the floor the scattered pile of clothes along with the alarm clock that had been toppled over by the falling lamp in the melee of the hours before. The bed was a mess—corners of the fitted sheet off of the mattress, the comforter kicked into a mound at the end of the bed and the top sheet was nearly untucked entirely, carefully tangled around both Mulder and Scully’s still naked bodies.

                Mulder’s eyes were the first to open as he turned his head toward the window for a moment, the sliver of light hitting his eyelids causing him to wince a little and grunt before turning his head again. _Wow, how did I get so lucky?_ Mulder thought to himself, admiring her disheveled hair, red and swollen lips, and her incredible beauty from the top of her head all the way to the tips of her toes. She was stunning and raw, a sight he never thought he’d see.

                He brushed a stray strand of her hair out of her face, letting his fingers linger on her cheek for a moment before relaxing again. Scully made a little moaning sound, her arm sliding from his stomach up to his shoulder and snuggled against him a little better, nuzzling her cheek against his chest. Mulder leaned over, kissed her forehead causing her to stir again, her leg slid up and over his, the slightly squeaky moan escaping her lips, her eyes still closed. Mulder bit down on his lip to quell a laugh from watching her reactions and somewhat hid a grin as he slowly ran his hand down her back, lightly dragging his fingers just enough to give her goosebumps. Scully’s fingers outstretched and a sharp, inhaling moan made her mouth drop open just a little bit, amplifying the noise that escaped her lips.

                The sheet barely clung to them both at around waist level and Scully’s chest was only concealed by his body over hers. The boyish playfulness in Mulder started to take over his actions as he tilted her head up toward his own with his fingertips, bringing her mouth back to his, tongue begging entry against her teeth. Scully’s eyes started to open, the flood of energy bringing her out of the lulling sleep as she let him in again, renewing the same passion from the night before. He intensified his kiss and positioned himself over her, reveling in their closeness. Scully couldn’t help but smile behind the kiss as his hand tucked under one of her legs, bringing it up around his hip, repeating the action with the other leg to get even closer to her. Mulder kissed his way to her neck and nibbled her jawline while she brought her hands up his back, gripping his shoulders, her eyes finally opening.

                “You’re going to break me, Mulder,” Scully could feel the aching hunger building up inside of her, every nerve ending already sending electric chills from her mouth to her toes and back. “Is this how it is with every woman you’ve been with?”

                He hovered over her, his mouth within inches of hers, gazing down at her. “This is definitely all your fault, Scully—all of it.”

                “My fault, huh?” Scully giggled and tried to fight the animalistic hunger he was awakening. “I’m pretty sure it took both of us to get into this position, Mulder.”

                Mulder shook his head at her but followed it up with a light peck on the lips. Scully smirked at him and nodded in response. Mulder nibbled on her bottom lip and grinded his hips against her, intentionally causing her moans to come out in a series of heavy breathed gasps. Scully dug her nails into his back and gritted her teeth, involuntarily arching her back, pressing up against him.

                “This is so unfair, Mulder,” Scully bit her own lip and buried her face in the curve of his neck, breathing heavily against his skin. “This is why it’s your fault…”

                Mulder held onto her right hand and kissed a trail from the tip of her middle finger to the palm of her hand bringing her focus back on him, her beautiful steel blue eyes looking up at him, her lips shaking in her weak attempt to keep her body from crying out.

                “You showed up in nothing but your coat and nightgown, Scully,” Mulder’s voice was almost a low growl as he alternated between speaking and loving kisses, her eyes now closed as his voice washed over her. “You definitely seduced me...I was only innocently indulging in your out of control libido.”

                Scully smirked, her eyes sparkling at him, the soft blush of her cheeks intensifying, liberally kissing his lips while speaking between each tender lip lock. “Oh, so I’m the insatiable one with a ridiculous porn collection…oh wait, no, that’s you, Mulder.”

                “You are going to pay for that one, Scully,” Mulder sent her into a fit of giggles as he slid both arms under hers and lifted her into a seated position, pressed her back against the headboard and proceeded to nibble her all over her neck and jawline.

                Mulder stopped suddenly and looked at her as her giggling fit softened, the bright pink blush fully invading the rest of her face and the top of her chest. “So did you wait for your mother to go to sleep before you came over?”

                Scully bit her lip and shook her head, poorly hiding her grin, the blush on her cheeks intensifying. “Uhmmmmm…”

                Mulder faked a gasp and covered his mouth for a second, his eyes wide as he looked at her, wrapping his arms around her and leaned back a little, lifting her bottom off of the mattress, eyes shimmering up at her. “Oh my God…you’re scandalous. I better get you to confession—blessed with holy water! Have to call for the Pope to save you from your sins!”

                Scully laughed again, this time one of those great belly laughs that shook her, ones that were often unseen by the general public as a safety measure since once she started laughing it was somewhat hard for her to stop. Mulder continued to nibble on her neck before pulling her into a sweet kiss, quelling the laughter momentarily. Scully beamed at him as he ran his fingers through her hair, sweetly looking into her eyes, wishing they could stay like this forever.

                “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this side of you, Scully, but I think I like it,” Mulder kissed her chin and breathed her in, the subtle undertones of her perfume still radiating off of her mixed with a little sweat.

                “You think?” Scully’s eyebrow arched and a little grin formed on her lips.

                “Ok…I like it a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever been reduced to a teenaged mess so quickly in my entire adult life and that is saying a lot, Scully,” Mulder’s voice was sweet and sincere as he found comfort knowing that their moment had not been fleeting or a moment in time to regret.

                Scully kissed him softly before speaking. “I have not allowed myself to be like this for anyone in a really long time, Mulder—the gravity of that is absolutely striking when I look back at everything we’ve been through.”

                “Having second thoughts?” Mulder locked eyes with her and swallowed hard at the inclination that she might admit to such a question.

                Scully inhaled sharply and pursed her lips together. “Are you?”

                “No…there are many regrets in my life and all of this is definitely not on that list,” Mulder kissed her on the forehead, his heartbeat softening as her lips curved into a gentle grin.

                Scully’s eyes widened in almost horror as her smile faded. “Shit! Mulder, we have somewhere to be today!”

                Mulder rolled his eyes and leaned back, bringing her onto the bed with him, this time on top of him, pulling the sheet the rest of the way untucked in the process. “Why can’t we just stay here today?”

                “As much as that idea sounds ever so tempting,” She leaned down and kissed him sweetly before resuming, “I really don’t want to miss out on what I’ve planned for today.”

                Mulder let out a deflating sigh as Scully quickly slid out of the bed, dragging the sheet with her in the process leaving him in all of his naked glory. Before he could really turn around she already had her panties and bra on and was rifling through a bag she had brought with her. Mulder started to get up but Scully balled up the top sheet and tossed it at his midsection. Mulder laughed and reluctantly reached for a pair of boxers, sliding into them while giving her the poutiest look he could muster despite the fact she was not looking at him.

                “You are going to like tonight, Mulder, so stop with the pout and get dressed,” Scully slid into a long maxi-style, navy blue dress with a deep vee neck and slipped her feet into her canvas wedge shoes, immediately going after a stick of deodorant.

                Mulder pulled on a relaxed fit pair of jeans and his signature style grey tee shirt just in time to see Scully disappear into his bathroom. “I’m pretty sure I could’ve handled missing out on any plans as grand as they might’ve been—“

                The water in the bathroom went on and off after a minute or two and Scully came back around the corner with a tube of toothpaste and toothbrush in hand. “I promise you that you’ll love it.”

                Mulder took his time putting on socks and his shoes before disappearing into the bathroom himself to brush his teeth. Scully began rifling through the bag she brought with her growing increasingly irritated as she got to the end of its contents.

                “Dammit!” Scully turned the bag upside down and shoved everything back into it, zipping it closed.

                The slightly hard to understand “what?” echoed in the bathroom from Mulder, who was brushing his teeth and gargling Listerine during her rummaging.

                “I think I left them in your desk, Mulder—I thought I wouldn’t forget them if I put them in there,” Scully rubbed her forehead and stood up, gathering her purse and bag in the process. “And of course the one time I do that is time that I actually forget to get them before I left.”

                “Left what in my desk?” Mulder came around the corner and smiled, pulling on his Yankees baseball cap.

                Scully tossed him his empty duffle bag and raised her eyebrow at him. “Grab a change or two of clothes; we’ll stop by the office to get what I left in your desk.”

 

 

12:45 PM – FBI Headquarters Main Entrance Level

 

                The staunch, buttoned up, sterile environment that was the Hoover building almost made Mulder want to take a long walk off a short pier as he realized he had almost no desire to walk into the building, a notion that struck him as odd since Skinner had to force him into taking vacation time. Mulder smiled at the thought that the woman next to him was the only reason to keep fighting, searching, and questioning—that his passion was not caged by her skepticism but rather that it allowed him to push more into the realm of the unknown to solve everything that could be solved. He knew he couldn’t do it alone anymore—that his passions were now shared with Scully. She looked over and smirked at him knowing he was thinking about work again but she could tell it was more of a contemplative thought process instead of his usual “bury me in my work” kind of process.

                “All work and no play make Mulder a pasty pencil neck,” Mulder saw her mouth starting to open and cut her off with his quick wit, provoking an instantaneous smile.

                “Something like that…” Scully elbowed him.

                The pair came around the corner and started to head toward the employee walk-through but a rookie security guard flagged them down.

                “Sir? Ma’am? The visitor line is over there,” The guard aimed the tip of his pen toward the general visitors check in area, almost not bothering to look them in the eye.

                Both of them stopped, smiled in spite of themselves and pulled out their badges, Mulder opted to speak. “I’ll let this one slide because we’re in casual dress today but might want to memorize that current office personnel list again, kiddo.”

                “Oh…Agents, my bad,” He looked rather embarrassed as both put away their badges, “Go right on in.”

                Mulder and Scully smiled awkwardly at the rookie security officer and proceeded by him.

                “Good to see that the bureau is sparing no expense on a few Dudley Do-Rights,” Mulder whispered in Scully’s ear as they headed toward the elevators.

                “Behave yourself, Mulder,” Scully pressed the down button on the elevator and waited for the doors to open.

                “Hey Mulder, couldn’t resist stopping by work on your mandatory vacation?” Another Agent from Skinner’s floor ribbed him and then caught Scully out of the corner of his eye. “Lookin’ good, Agent Scully…Lookin’ VERY good.”

                “No, no, no…just getting something I forgot in my desk, Jimmy,” Mulder awkwardly looked around as if he was now a little paranoid.

                “Yeah, right, Mulder—I better go let Skinner know that I owe him 50 bucks for losing that bet,” Jimmy rolled his eyes as he started toward the doors.

                “Bet?” Mulder’s eyes widened and his face went white.

                “No, Mulder’s right, Jimmy, we’re just dropping by to pick something up that I forgot—then we’re on our way…” Scully stepped through the elevator doorway and blocked it open for Mulder. “No need to let Skinner win that bet right?”

                “Don’t let him pollute your brain, Scully—this guy practically lives in this hellhole. Forget AA…he needs FBIA,” he smirked and continued on.

                “More like I shouldn’t let you pollute my brain, Scully,” Mulder got into the elevator with her and pressed the B button, the doors shutting quickly after.

                Scully let out a little laugh at the comment and looked at her watch. “Yeah, I’m so sure.”

                “Do these elevators still have cameras in them, Scully?” Mulder started looking around at the ceiling of the elevator, eyes darting around at the corners specifically.

                “No, I don’t think so…why?” Scully shrugged her shoulders at him, glancing at her watch not noticing what he was doing.

                Mulder didn’t bother to answer her question verbally, opting to pin her against the elevator wall and kiss her quite hard, taking advantage of only what would be seconds of “alone time” in the elevator. His hands searched her, groping her over the top of the dress as though they were a pair of ramped up teenagers fresh into puberty. Scully indulged in the passionate kiss, allowing herself to enjoy his touch despite the panic screaming “uncle” mercilessly at the back of her mind.

                Scully gripped the hand railing to bring herself back to Earth and pulled her mouth away from his with a fair amount of reluctance, gasping for air. “Mulder, someone is going to see us.”

                “Let them—I don’t care anymore,” Mulder went to her neck this time, dragging his lips up her neck to her jawline, sending shivers down Scully’s spine.

                Scully smiled and guided his mouth back to hers, both hands caressing his face for a moment before assisting his hands to the wall above her shoulders. The elevator made the signature “ding” and Scully found the opportunity to slide down ever so slightly and to the side before quickly making her way out the door toward the office. Mulder leaned against the wall of the elevator compartment and bit his lip before following her with a little bit of pep in his step. Mulder rounded the corner and walked into the office where Scully was already sitting in his chair, rummaging through the second drawer of his desk.

                Mulder stood in the doorway of the office and leaned against the door jam, grinning like a teenager. “You are extremely lucky that I just found that little maneuver in the elevator incredibly hot.”

                Scully already had a stack of stuff out of his desk drawer, rummaging through the pile, not bothering to look up at him as she rifled through the contents of the drawer. “Oh? And what would you have done anyway?”

                “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Mulder laughed a little then wrinkled his nose at her. “Scully what on earth are you looking for?”    

                “I put something in your desk thinking you wouldn’t find it but I didn’t think that it would get lost in this sea of...” Scully pulled out a copy of Playboy from the middle of the stack and raised her eyebrow at him while flipping the front cover toward him. “Really, Mulder? I had you pegged for a Hustler man…”

                Mulder coughed and took the magazine from her, quickly putting it into a filing cabinet. “Everyone needs reading material, Scully. Hustler is bedside reading…not office reading.”

                “Reading material—a likely story,” Scully shuts one of the drawers and opens another “Jesus, Mulder, when did you last clean out this desk? 1991?”

                “Don’t be hating on my organized chaos, Scully, it has served me well…” Mulder turned around, peeking into the hallway for a moment.

                “Something tells me that you keep a box of condoms from 1983 in this desk and I am now thoroughly in need of hand sanitizer,” Scully lifted up her palms and showed him the layer of dust on her fingers, wrinkling her nose.

                Mulder tilted his head to one side as he heard a sound coming from around the corner. “Scully, I think I just heard the elevator ding.”

                Scully stood up as Mulder walked all the way into the office, hearing a low voice booming from near the elevator. “Shit…I think it’s Skinner…”

                “That snake in the grass sold me out—Skinner told me he’d suspend me without pay for a month if I so much as walked on the sidewalk outside the building,” Mulder seemed a little bit panicked and justifiably so causing Scully to roll her eyes at him.

                “You owe me…” Scully grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to his knees, shoving him under the desk somewhat roughly.

                “How’d you know I like it rough, Scully?” Mulder was whispering despite his little tease of a question as Scully rolled forward, concealing him as best as she could.

                “Shut up, Mulder,” She bit her lip to hide a clever smile, continuing to rifle through a stack of papers.

                “Agent Mulder, I knew that you just couldn’t handle taking some time off and I wasn’t idly threatening you with suspension for sh—Oh, Agent Scully, what are you doing here?” The look of shock on Skinner’s face was priceless as he rounded the corner, speaking well before realizing he was half shouting at her and not Mulder. “I was told Agent Mulder was down here…”

                “Just me, Sir…” Scully tried to act surprised with the mention of Mulder. “Who gave the idea that Mulder was here?”

                “Just another confused Agent I suppose—what are you doing here? You’re the last person I’d expect to be showing up on a vacation day,” Skinner softened his expression as she continued to rifle through the papers.

                “I was in such a hurry to get out of here that I forgot a couple of things—oh hey, look at that, found it!” Scully pulled a fairly large manila envelope from under the filing stack, shoving the rest of the miscellaneous paperwork back into the desk, shutting the drawer after.

                “Ahh just an oversight then?” Skinner coughed a little, clearing his throat.

                “Mmmhmmm…” Scully leaned against the chair back and smiled, struggling to hide a laugh as Skinner fidgeted like a child who had just gotten caught cussing by a parent who they did not know was watching.

                “Well, I’ll let you get back to it—enjoy the rest of your vacation,” Skinner looked fairly embarrassed as he went back out of the office.

                Scully stayed silent and still for a moment or two until she heard the doors to the elevator close. Scully let out a deep breath and closed her eyes, shoulders relaxing just a little bit.

                “Warden, can you let me out now? I think I’m entitled to my hour out of solitary confinement,” Mulder continued, tapping on her leg. “Not that I’m terribly unhappy about being under here, Scully…Have I mentioned that you have very ticklish looking feet?”

                “Glad you didn’t go tickling me while I dealt with Skinner so thanks for that,” Scully scooted back and let him get back to his feet.

                Mulder leaned against the counter behind the desk and crossed his arms. “So, what’s the surprise, Scully…now that you’ve found what you came looking for…”

                Scully smiled softly and opened the manila envelope, pulling apart what looked like a folder. She pulled the first part apart, which looked like two boarding passes on an AA flight, and handed them to Mulder.

                Mulder wrinkled his nose at her as he looked a little closer at the tickets. “Non-stop, round trip tickets to…New York?”

                “Uh…huh….” Scully pulled out another envelope, handing it to him.

                “Two night stay at The Millenium Hilton on 55 Church Street? Scully…” Mulder felt a little like a cheapskate as he noticed her pulling one more smallish envelope from the manila.

                “Close your eyes,” Scully stood up for this one and waited for Mulder to shut both of his eyes before she pulled the contents out of the envelope and set them in the palm of his hands. “Ok now open.”

                Mulder opened his eyes and looked down at the two strips of the stock paper. “Friday July 16th, 7:35 pm…New York Yankees versus Atlanta Braves. You certainly are full of surprises, Scully.”

                “Before you go thinking I spent a fortune on this, Mulder…My mother’s friend works for Hilton and she was supposed to go to NY this weekend and was unable to go so she gave them to my mom who in turn gave them to me. The tickets were pure coincidence and you can thank Langley later because he made the call for them yesterday after we left work—as for the airline tickets, they weren’t expensive,” Scully put them back into the envelope and adjusted the Yankees cap on his head a little bit. “And yes…I’m very full of surprises, Mulder.”

                “Well if we’re going to make it to the airport we might want to get out of here – you never know how long it’ll take to get through the airport,” Mulder rubbed her shoulders and brought her to her tiptoes to give her another quick kiss. “I have a feeling I’m going to have my work cut out for me if I plan on outdoing the next two days.”

                “We’ll see, Mulder…” Scully lead the way out of the office with Mulder pulling the door shut behind him as he followed her out the door.

 

***** End Chapter 5 *****

 

Chapter 6 will be coming soon! I had such a blast writing this chapter and chapter 6 will be even better (I hope)! Please leave comments as they are always welcomed and appreciated. 


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